Their football team is at the pinnacle of success, shining a spotlight on a small town that doesn't have much else to cheer about these days.

About a dozen miles downriver from Pittsburgh lies Clairton, a former booming steel town in the industry's heyday.

Now, the coke works plant employs about one-fourth the people it once did.

There is no grocery store in town and many of the businesses on the street's main drag have been shuttered.

Gov. Tom Corbett targeted the school for its poor academic performance when the state took away $800,000 in state funding last year.

The one thing they can't take from the Bears or the people of Clairton is their pride.

Dunmore's opponent in Friday's state Class A championship game has plenty of that, and with good reason. The Bears own the longest football winning streak in state history - 62 games - which is also the longest active streak in the nation.

"All the coaches, the school, community are all so proud of our team and what they have done," said mild-mannered head coach Tom Nola, a retired history teacher who has a career record of 230-20. "It's very special. It's brought a lot of pride and recognition to Clairton, which has been financially distressed.

"We have a lot of spirit, a lot of people behind us and the town has come alive from what the kids have done."

Even success has come with a measure of despair.

In 2009, an assistant coach with the team was murdered, shot outside his home five months before the start of the season. The team dedicated the season to that coach, then promptly came out and lost the opener in what was expected to be a banner season.

Turns out it was. The team won the next 14 games, a state title and has not been beaten since.

Riverside came close to ending the streak two years ago, taking a 24-0 lead in the state title game before Clairton rallied for a 36-30 victory.

This season, the Bears won their opener by two points and trailed early in another game before roaring to victory and another 15-0 start.

It's a team led by a trio of Division I prospects, the most notable of whom is Tyler Boyd, a 6-foot-2 running back/wide receiver who has narrowed his college choices to Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan State, Penn State and West Virginia.

Boyd has run for 2,450 yards and averages 12.6 yards per carry. Equally dangerous when he catches it, the senior averages 18.7 yards per catch.

He's scored 50 touchdowns.

Wide receiver Titus Howard gains 25.5 yards per reception, but may not play in the title game because of an elbow dislocation suffered in the playoffs.

He is committed to the University of Pittsburgh.

Quarterback Armani Ford has thrown for more than 1,850 yards, 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, and his favorite target is Terrish Webb, who has 38 catches for 865 yards.

Webb is a living example of what it means to be a Clairton Bear. His successes on the football field have earned him a full ride to Pittsburgh.

His father was murdered when he was 11.

"We have three Division Is that have already been offered and four more at Division II," Nola said. "It is for our guys, a way to get out of here and make something. We tell them all the time you have something special.

"I'm not just saying this because I'm their coach, but these three Division Is that we have are the three best ever we've had both athletically and academically. They are very good character kids."

Clairton's success has drawn national attention from CBS, The New York Times and USA Today, and football has been a route out of a town with a median income less than $15,000 where more than 20 percent of the people live at or below the poverty line.

Of this year's senior class, Nola estimates that all but three or four will be attending college, all thanks in to football, a number far more impressive to Nola than any number of victories or state titles.

And that's common ground for both Nola and Dunmore coach Jack Henzes.

"I'm sure (Coach Henzes) has a lot more experience but I try to do that," Nola said. "I try to mentor and teach the right things.

"Our first goal is to educate our players. Academics and athletics equals success."

Contact the writer: mmyers@timesshamrock.com

On Twitter @mmtimes

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.